Skara Brae - The Discovery and Excavation of Orkney's finest Neolithic Settlement Skara Brae The discovery of the village "On the far curving shore of the bay lies Skara Brae, hazy through the sea-haar." George Mackay Brown - Rockpools and Daffodils On the southern shore of the Bay o' Skaill, in the West Mainland parish of Sandwick , is the Neolithic village of Skara Brae - one of Orkney's most-visited ancient sites and regarded by many as one of the most remarkable prehistoric monuments in Europe. In the winter of 1850, a great storm battered Orkney. There was nothing particularly unusual about that, but, on this occasion, the combination of wind and extremely high tides stripped the grass from a large mound, then known as "Skerrabra". This revealed the outline of a number of stone buildings - something that intrigued the local laird, William Watt, of Skaill, who embarked on an excavation of the site. In 1868, after the remains of four ancient houses had been unearthed, work at Skerrabra was abandoned.

The settlement remained undisturbed until 1925, when another storm damaged some of the previously excavated structures. A sea-wall was built to preserve these remains, but during the construction work, yet more ancient buildings were discovered. "I hear, says the writer in The Bulletin, that the excavations at Skerrabrae in Orkney, which attracted so much attention last year, are to be resumed at an early date. "Professor V. Gordon Childe will again co-operate with the representatives of the Office of Works. "There are still some problems to be solved, and its hoped that this season's researches will throw a flood of light on the period of the underground structures and the people who dwelt in them." The Orcadian, July 4, 1929 'Modern' investigations Further excavations followed and, between 1928 and 1930, the dwellings we see today were released from their protective cocoons. At the time, the village was thought to be an Iron Age settlement, dating from around 500BC - but this was no Pictish village.

Radiocarbon dating in the early 1970s confirmed that the settlement dated from the late Neolithic — inhabited for around 600 years, between 3200BC and 2200BC. Today, Skerrabra - or Skara Brae as it has become known - survives as eight dwellings, linked together by a series of low, covered passages. Because of the protection offered by the sand that covered the settlement for 4,000 years, the buildings, and their contents, are incredibly well-preserved. Not only are the walls of the structures still standing, and alleyways roofed with their original stone slabs, but the interior fittings of each house give an unparalleled glimpse of life as it was in Neolithic Orkney. Each house shares the same basic design - a large square room, with a central fireplace , a bed on either side and a shelved dresser on the wall opposite the doorway. In its lifetime, Skara Brae became embedded in its own rubbish and this, together with the encroaching sand dunes, meant the village was gradually abandoned.

Thereafter, the settlement was gradually covered by a drifting wall of sand that hid it from sight for for over 40 centuries. But the elements that exposed Skara Brae to the world are also its greatest nemesis. The village remains under constant threat by coastal erosion and the onslaught of the sand and sea. In addition, the increasing number of visitors to the site annually are causing problems. Steps are being taken, however, to alleviate, or minimise, this damage. Skara Brae Skara Brae 1 April to 30 September: Monday to Sunday, 9.30am to 5.30pm 1 October to 31 March: Monday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm Facilities Overview Long before Stonehenge or even the Egyptian pyramids were built, Skara Brae was a thriving village. Step back 5,000 years in time to explore the best-preserved Neolithic settlement in Western Europe. First uncovered by a storm in 1850, Skara Brae remains a place of discovery today. Visit a replica Neolithic house to see how its full interior might have looked.

Then follow the path that overlooks the ancient buildings, imagining what life was like for the farmers, hunters and fishermen who lived here. The prehistoric houses still contain stone ‘dressers’ and box-beds. Skara Brae is part of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site .

What to see and do Walk around an extraordinary village – the best-preserved group of prehistoric houses in all of Western Europe Explore the nine surviving Neolithic houses, all but one of which can be viewed from the path View original ‘fitted’ furniture made 5,000 years ago Step inside a complete replica house, to get a fuller picture of village life See artefacts including gaming dice, tools and jewellery on display in the visitor centre Take in the stunning variety of local birdlife and wildflowers Visit Skaill House , an impressive 17th century mansion, adjacent to Skara Brae (joint ticket April to October) 1000+ images about Skara Brae on Pinterest | Europe, House and Islands Pinterest • The world’s catalog of ideas Skara Brae Skara Brae is a stone-built Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of Mainland, the largest island in the Orkney archipelago of Scotland.

Wikipedia Address: Sandwick, Orkney KW16 3LR, United Kingdom Phone: +44 1856 841815 126 Pins295.68k Followers Neolithic Village at Skara Brae Tweet Skara Brae Skara Brae is a large Neolithic settlement on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of Mainland , the main island of the Orkney Islands , just off the north coast of Scotland . The settlement is a cluster of eight dwellings and it was occupied roughly 3100-2500 BC. It's Europe's most complete Neolithic village and it was discovered only in 1850. It was well preserved when it was discovered, and the early excavations were unusually careful for that time. Let's see what there is at Skara Brae today. Orkney is off the northern coast of Scotland. The largest island of the group is called Mainland, from the Old Norse name Meginland. You get there by taking a bus to Scrabster and Thurso, on Scotland's north coast. From there you a ferry to Stromness, the main passenger port in Orkney.

The settlement was built on, and into, a midden heap from a previous settlement. A midden heap is a mound of domestic refuse, or to put it bluntly, an old garbage dump. That material provided insulation against the harsh winter climate at that latitude. Archaeology often involves digging through the trash of long-dead people. Their refuse can provide a lot of information about their daily lives. The structures at Skara Brae were connected with narrow curving passageways that were also covered to protect the entire settlement from the weather. The small size and curving paths of the passageways limited the wind blowing through the communal structure. The walls and furniture are built from stone. The local sandstone splits into plates or sheets suiting it for certain types of construction. There were few trees on the Orkney Islands in the Neolithic era, and almost none today. They used driftwood and whalebone to form frames for the roofs. Some of the driftwood came from northeastern North America along the clockwise gyre of the north Atlantic. Sheets of turf would have been laid over that framework with thatch on top, much like what has been used in the Highlands and the Outer Hebrides through the early 20th century.

Here is where the settlement fits into prehistoric and historic periods as those periods are commonly divided for Britain based on the cultural and technological developments there: Years Iron Age Period when the main technology was based on iron. In Britain, considered to have lasted until the Roman conquest, at least as far as Hadrian's Wall , or until the mid-400s in Scotland. Each of the Skara Brae dwellings contained a number of stone furnishings. Seven of the structures were dwellings, following a common design. The eighth seems to have been a common work area for communal cooking and tool production. Each dwelling was approximately square and about 40 square meters in size. The entryway was at the center of one side, out of sight at lower right in this picture. A stone hearth was at the center of the dwelling, the darker stone surface at lower right. This would have been used for heating, light and cooking. Opposite the entrance was a cabinet, a stone set of shelves and compartments. It would have been the first thing seen when entering the dwelling, and it is thought that this layout was intentional to display important possessions. The sleeping compartments or bed boxes were formed from thin slabs of stone extending up at least knee-high.

Typical dwellings had them on the other two sides, at left and right as you enter. One corner beside the cabinet had some smaller stone boxes referred to as tanks, used for preparing fish bait. Presumably the thin vertical slabs of stone provided the rectangular structure and its joints were lined and sealed with sheets of fish skin or animal bladder. The other front corner, on the opposite side of the cabinet from the bait boxes, is a small chamber referred to as a cell in the material in the museum and at the Skara Brae site itself. This dwelling has its cell at upper right in this picture. According to the explanatory material at the Skara Brae site, drainage systems have been discovered in some of the cells. According to their interpretation, the cells "may have been toilets." Other interpretations are more definite, for example, "A sophisticated drainage system was even incorporated into the village's design, one that included a primitive form of toilet in each dwelling." So, are the Skara Brae cells Neolithic era really toilets? Probably. Some people say that they are. Some say that they may be. No one seems to be saying that they definitely aren't. The cell of the House 2 dwelling is at upper right in these views below.

This dwelling is unusual in that it has a "secret compartment", a sizeable storage area behind its cabinet. This might have been used as a secret storage area, although it's hard to imagine a secret lasting very long in such a small and close community. The best preserved dwelling, designated as House 7, has some very fine carvings that were starting to deteriorate as it was no longer protected by being buried in sand. British Heritage covered the house with a glass roof, but this made the deterioration worse instead of better. They have replaced the glass roof with one of sod, maintaining a much more constant environment inside the house. This unfortunately means that you can't see it. To make up for this, they have reconstructed a precise replica that you can enter. This shows the mounded exterior of the House 7 reconstruction. Driftwood and whale rib roof beams would have supported a roof of turf and thatch, and grass would have soon covered that. As you enter the dwelling from the narrow passageway you look across the main chamber, across the hearth to the cabinet. One set of bed boxes is along the left wall. The cell is in the far corner at the left of the cabinet.

Here it is, a view into the cell. Logistics The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh has a large and well-done exhibit of items from prehistoric Scotland, including quite a bit from Skara Brae. The museum at Skara Brae itself is small and mostly explains the site — the artifacts are mostly in Edinburgh. Almost certainly if you aren't British, and quite likely if you are, you will travel to Orkney by way of Edinburgh. See the National Museum's collection in Edinburgh before going to Skara Brae, and see it again afterward when it will make more sense. Some of the collection is available online . As for getting to Orkney: Edinburgh to Inverness, 3 hours 30 minutes by bus, via Perth and Pitlochry, buses every 3 hours or so. Inverness to Scrabster (adjacent to Thurso), 3 hours 45 minutes by bus, a few buses a day. Scrabster to Stromness, 1 hour 30 minutes by ferry, a few ferries per day. Once in Stromness, check the bus schedules at the Tourist Information Center at the ferry terminal.

There are a few buses per day stopping at Skara Brae. After visiting Skara Brae and the adjacent Skaill House (home of the Laird who owned the land and discovered the site), you could return to Stromness via a later bus. A better alternative if you get an early enough start is to return to Stromness on foot along the West Coast Walk. It's about 17 kilometers along the tops of the rugged cliffs along the west coast of Mainland, the main island of Orkney. A good place to stay is Brown's Hostel , just a couple of short blocks down the main Victoria Street from the ferry terminal: 45-47 Victoria Street Vocab - Global History Global History VOCABULARY WORDS 1. social studies- The study of human interactions in the past, present, and future 2. history- A record of the past and explanation of important events, uses primary and secondary sources to construct the past 3. sociology- study of human social behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society 4. anthropology- The study of human beings and their ancestors, including culture and social relations 5.

archaeology- The study of material remains (bones, artifacts, structures) of past human life and activities 6. economics- The study of how people use resources, engage in trade, and deal with money (currency) 7. geography- The study of the earth and how people interact with the environment (climate, physical features,) and adapt to it (ex., terrace farming on hillsides) 8. geology- scientific study of the origin, history, and structure of the earth’s surface: rocks, sediment, soil 9. political science- The study of the earth and how people interact with the environment (climate, physical features,) and adapt to it (ex., terrace farming on hillsides) 10. topographic/physical map-a map that shows physical features such as mountains, rivers, basins, etc. 11. political map-a map that shows political features like borders such as countries, cities, capitals, states, and boundaries 12. thematic map-a map that shows a particular topic or theme, for example: a map with trade routes or where diseases spread 13. Stone Age-when early people used exclusively stone as their hard material in the building of homes and ritual sites.

and in the making of tools. Bone was used during this period as well to make stone tools and jewelry. During the Stone Age, metalworking was beyond human capability 14. Orkney Islands-LOCATION: Scotland, north of the mainland CLIMATE: windy, very rainy, average temapture is 41-59 degrees year round STONE AGE: Orkney experienced the Stone Age from 6,000 BCE-1,000 BCE 15. excavate-to unearth buried objects using a specific method of archeology in an attempt to discover information about the past 16. burial tomb-place of ritual where family would place the remains of the deceased, not necessarily a final resting place 17. Skara Brae-Stone Age Village in Orkney (3,000-2,500 BCE), the best preserved Stone Age village in Europe, provides the first evidence of Stone Age people living together in a settled community 18. Ring of Brodgar-built between 2,500-2,000 BCE, standing stone circle built as part of a large, complex ritual momument 19.

midden-old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, plant materials, shells, and other discarded items associated with past human occupation. They may be convenient, single-use pits created by nomadic groups or long term, designated dumps used by settled communities that accumulate over several generations 20. nomads and hunter gatherer-combine the definitions from the textbook glossary 21. agriculture-the science, art, and business of cultivatin soil, producing crops, and raising livestock...farming! Requires people to live in permanent settlements 22. irrigation farming-textbook glossary 23. domestication-the selective taming and breeding of animals and plants for human use 24.Neolithic Revolution-Humans begin to slowly domesticate plants and animals. Introduction of farming 25. civilization-textbook glossary 26. advanced cities- large populations that rely on farming and TRADE 27. job specialization-became skilled and expert at jobs other than farming 28. complex institutions-a long lasting pattern of organization in a community (ex. government, religion, the economy) 29.

record keeping-developed system of writing to keep track of laws, calendars, tax collection, food storage 30. advanced technology- new tools and techniques that are needed to solve the problems that emerge in society 31. hierarchy- notebook *include the drawing of the triangle* 32. traditional economy-goods are made and produced by hand, production based on need and family, trade exists within the community, items are traded through barter 33. barter-a form of trade in which people exchange goods and services without the use of money, it eases tension and brings people together 34. city-state-textbook glossary 35. Hammurabi's Code-textbook pg. 32 36. culture-glossary 37. monotheism-belief in one supreme god 38. Judaism-the first major world religion to teach the existence of only one god, teaches that a person serves God by studying the Torah and living by its teachings, 3 main branches are Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform 39.

Torah-first five books of the Hebrew Bible (New Testament): Genius, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers, believed by Jews to be the most important books because it lays out the rules and foundations of Judaism 40. Moses and the 10 Commandments-Moses is the most important figure in the Jewish religion, according to the Bible Moses freed the Jews in Egypt from the pharaoh also called the "Exodus", 10 commandments were a code of laws delivered to Moses, the rules regulated social and religion behavior 41. Christianity* 43. New Testament 44. Islam/Muslim* 45. Qur'an-the holy book of the Islam faith, believed by Muslims to be revealed to the Prophet Mohammed by the Angel Gabriel 46. Muhammed* 47. Hinduism-collection of ancient beliefs, religion as a way of liberating the soul from the mistakes of everyday life, no one founder 48. Brahman- name for Hinduism’s one supreme god: he creates, maintains, destroys and re-creates everything in the world, including the human soul, everything is a part of Brahman 49.

Reincarnation- the belief that when ppl die the soul leaves the body and is reborn into another newly born body 50. Karma- the total of good and bad actions a human soul carries from life to life and current actions determine their future life, you can come back as human or animal 51. Samsara- The continuous cycle of birth, death and rebirth 52. Moksha- the goal of a Hindu’s life is to achieve moksha- to be released from Samsara and united with Brahman, the Supreme God 53. caste system-glossary 54. polytheistic-glossary 55. non-theistic-a belief system that is focused on spirituality NOT a relationship between a human and a god 56. nirvana-glossary 57. Buddhism-a spiritual tradition that focuses on spiritual development and the attainment of a deep insight into the true nature of life, it teaches that all life is interconnected 58. Four Noble Truths-textbook (Chapter 3: People and Ideas on the Move, Section Hinduism and Buddhism Develop) 59.

Eightfold Path- textbook (Chapter 3: People and Ideas on the Move, Section Hinduism and Buddhism Develop) 60. enlightenment-glossary 61. Siddhartha Gautama- textbook (Chapter 3: People and Ideas on the Move, Section Hinduism and Buddhism Develop) 62. Confucius 86. Architecture (blue p. 140, yellow p. 122) 87. Golden Age notes (blue p. 134, yellow p. 120) 88. Pericles (blue 135, yellow 121) 89. Parthenon (blue 135-136 & 141, yellow 121-122) 90. Philosophers include 3 examples of Greek philosophers (blue 139, yellow 125) 91. Alexander the Great notes 92. Hellenistic-glossary 93. peninsula-land surrounded by water on three sides (example mainland Greece) 94. archipelago-chain of islands (example the Greek Isles) 95.

Roman Republic (notes/brainpop) 97. Twelve Tables (yellow=p. 142, blue=p. 156/notes/brainpop) 98. Pax Romana (glossary) 99. Major causes of the fall of the Roman Empire (brainpop, yellow=p.160, blue=p.174) 100. Byzantine Empire- =Roman Empire, divided in 200, the Eastern half rose in importance =Justinian was the greatest of the Byzantine emperors =blended Greek, Roman and Christian influences, most spoke Greek, not Latin =produced art and artwork =gave Russia a written language and influences Russian religion, govt., art, architecture 101. Justinian code (glossary) 102. Orthodox Church-became powerful as the official church of the Byzantine Empire ------------------------------------------------ *You may use quizlet.com to find these definitions. You must set up an account, it free and simple. Search definitions.

The Neolithic Age NEOLITHIC AGE c.4500BC – c.2400BC Farming spread across Europe from the eastern Mediterranean (wild varieties of wheat and barley, sheep and goats are native to the Near East), and arrived in Britain around 4500BC, ushering in the Neolithic (New Stone) Age. The farming skills, and associated way of life, brought to Britain by immigrants from mainland Europe, would have been gradually adopted, and adapted, by the indigenous population – it now seems clear that there was no rapid ‘Neolithic revolution’, as was once thought. Bone analysis indicates Saddle quern and rubbing stone. that, during the whole Neolithic period, people's diet contained little food which was not of animal origin. This suggests that farming in Britain was more concerned with animal husbandry (sheep, cattle, goats, pigs – dogs would probably have been used to assist with the herding) than the growing of crops.

Cereals were grown, of course (the land would have been worked with spades, hoes, and, perhaps, rudimentary ploughs), but there is speculation that the grain was, mostly, used for ritual purposes, and possibly, eventually (3rd millennium BC), brewing. Polished stone axe-head. Woodland had to be cleared to create arable and grazing land – requiring the use of axes. The characteristic tool of the Neolithic Age is the polished axe. The axe-head would be roughed out from a suitable piece of stone or flint, and then, laboriously, ground and polished to produce the final shape and an effective cutting edge. It would be attached to a wooden haft for use. Axe-heads manufactured from stone quarried at certain sites, often called ‘axe factories’ (such as at Great Langdale, in the Lake District), seem to have been particularly valued, and had a wide distribution. There are a few sites (such as Grimes Graves in Norfolk) where flint was mined. It has been suggested that these flint mines had more of a ritual than a utilitarian significance.

Implements made from mined flint (as distinct from surface flint) are often found in an unused condition, which might indicate they had a ceremonial function. It is certainly clear that not all axe-heads were produced simply for use as tools. They appear to have been prized on an aesthetic level – appreciated for the beauty of the polished rock. As such, they are found in circumstances which indicate they have been purposely deposited as an offering. For instance, a polished jadeite axe-head, imported from the Italian Alps, was found alongside the Sweet Track – a raised plank walkway which traversed a reed swamp in the Somerset Levels (it is named after Ray Sweet, the peat cutter who discovered it in 1970). The Sweet Track was built in 3807/3806BC (the precise date is thanks to dendrochronology ), and it superceded an earlier track, the Post Track, which had been built in 3838BC. Decorated bowl (3300–2700BC). As well as farming skills, pottery making know-how also arrived in Britain.

Early in the Neolithic the, round-bottomed, pots – fashioned from coils, or flattened pieces, of clay – tend to be plain, and geographically homogenous. From about 3800BC, however, regional, decorated, styles appear. About 2800BC, so called, ‘ Grooved ware ’ – flat-bottomed, bucket-shaped, pots named after their decorative style – began to be produced. It seems possible that this style developed in Orkney, and spread down through Britain from there. Finds of large numbers of, bone and antler, pins (ideal for fastening leather, but not cloth) indicate that most clothing was manufactured from animal skins – though perforated stones, which (depending on size) may have served as spindle whorls or loom weights, might suggest that woolen cloth and linen became available during the British Neolithic. Though obviously not British, ‘Ötzi the Iceman’ probably gives an idea of the kind of clothing worn. Ötzi is the nickname given to a well-preserved corpse, dating from c.3300BC, which, in 1991, was found protruding from a glacier in the Tyrolean Alps.

Apart from an outer cape made from woven grass, his garments were entirely made from animal skins. A belt held up his leather loincloth and, via leather suspenders, his leggings. His (possibly sleeveless) jacket was made from sections of hide in different colours (apparently, Ötzi's clothing and tools made use of eight species of animal skin). He had a fur cap, with leather chin straps, and his leather shoes were stuffed with grass for insulation. The earliest type of monument built in Britain, dating from soon after 4000BC, are ‘ long barrows ’ – trapezoidal earthen mounds, incorporating timber or stone burial chambers. These barrows live up to their name; West Kennet long barrow, in Wiltshire, for instance, is 104 metres long with, at its eastern end, a five chambered megalithic Pentre Ifan, Pembrokeshire. The remains of ‘chambered tombs’ can often be found stripped of their coverings – their megalithic skeletons are often referred to as ‘dolmens’ or ‘cromlechs’. structure accessed by an entrance passage.

Later in the Neolithic (from c.3000BC), ‘passage graves’ developed. These are tombs where a round mound covers a stone passage leading to central chambers (such as Bryn Celli Ddu and Barclodiad y Gawres , both on Anglesey, and Maeshowe on Orkney). Neolithic tombs have been found to contain a jumble of bones from a number of bodies. It seems that, probably after a passage of time to allow a body to deflesh, the remains were arranged within the tomb. There is evidence to suggest that some bones may have been removed for disposal in a different place, or for ritual use (at West Kennet, for example, excavators found a marked shortage of skulls and leg bones). Following on the heels of the long barrows, the next Neolithic monuments to appear were ‘ causewayed enclosures ’. Found almost exclusively in the southern half of England, they comprise a number (typically 1 to 3) of, roughly circular, segmented, enclosing ditches – the spoil from the ditches being used to form a bank on the inner side. The gaps between the segments are the causeways – the wider ones forming entrances to the enclosure.

At Windmill Hill , in Wiltshire, probably the most well known causewayed enclosure, the outer of its three encircling ditches (which, incidentally, may not all be contemporary) encloses about 9.6 hectares. Whilst most are smaller, Crofton, also in Wiltshire, encloses 28 hectares. The ditches of causewayed enclosures are, broadly speaking, U shaped, 3 to 4 metres wide and up to 2 metres deep. They have been found to contain not only discarded items of rubbish, like broken pottery, animal bones and flint knapping waste, but also items which appear to have been formally placed, such as human and animal burials, human skulls, axe-heads and complete pots (which possibly contained food or drink when deposited). The purpose of causewayed enclosures is much debated, but a Leaf-shaped flint arrowhead. popular theory is that they served as meeting places, where neighbouring groups could congregate for purposes of trade or ritual. They seem to represent the beginning of an evolutionary process of ceremonial enclosure construction which continued into the Bronze Age (see: Henge Monuments ).

Some causewayed enclosures, however, would appear to have adopted the role of defended settlements (such Crickley Hill in Gloucestershire and Carn Brea in Cornwall). The traditional view is that the Neolithic was a peaceful age, but there is now a considerable body of evidence highly suggestive of warfare. For example, at both Crickley Hill and Carn Brea, hundreds of leaf-shaped arrowheads, found clustered around entrances and associated with evidence of burning, are indicative that the sites came under attack. Houses were, usually, rectangular – of timber construction, they would have had ‘wattle and daub’ walls and thatched roofs – but they are, perhaps surprisingly, not at all common. The rarity of permanent Neolithic settlements in Britain has led to the suggestion that these early farmers did not, necessarily, remain in one place all the time, but moved around within a defined area – a pattern of behaviour known as ‘tethered mobility’. In Orkney, however, there are the remains of stone-built, late Neolithic, villages. Photograph courtesy of Charles Tait .

In 1850 a great storm battered the Bay of Skaill, on Orkney Mainland, stripping the surface from the large, grass covered, mound of Skara Brae, and revealing traces of stone buildings. The local laird, William Watt, took an interest in the site, and, by 1868, four houses had been cleared. Except for some casual exploration, Skara Brae was left undisturbed for the next 50 odd years. In 1924 William Watt's trustees handed Skara Brae into State care. In 1925 another storm caused damage to the site – which resulted in the construction of a protective sea-wall. Investigations carried out in 1927 found that there were other buildings still buried. Between 1928 and 1930, Skara Brae was excavated by Vere Gordon Childe, and the site visible today was exposed. Further excavation, under the direction of David Clarke, took place in 1972 and 1973.

Samples were taken for Radiocarbon dating , and it was established that the settlement was inhabited between about 3100BC and 2500BC, with only minor changes of lifestyle during that time. Skara Brae was constructed in two phases – of the ten buildings exposed, two belong to the first phase. About halfway through the period of occupation, the second phase of building took place gradually, perhaps taking a generation, over the flattened remains of the first. The second phase was not built to the same layout as the first – it was not simply a house for house replacement – hence the visible remains of two houses from the first phase. One of those earlier houses was heavily robbed out, perhaps to provide materials for the new buildings. Sufficient is left of the other, however, to show that the new houses were, to all intents and purposes, of the same design as the earlier houses, but larger. An essential building material for the second phase was midden. Midden is decomposed refuse – rather like garden compost, but with stones, animal bones, shells etc. This was dumped as the first stage of building.

The, single roomed, houses (their drystone walls are more than two metres high in places) were then built into the midden mound. The houses are linked by low, narrow, stone passages, through the midden, which were topped by stone slabs and covered in midden. The whole village was encased in midden – just the house roofs would have stuck out above the mound. The one exception is (what is thought to be) a workshop, which stands apart – separated from the main entrance passage by a paved area (known as the ‘Marketplace’, though there is nothing to suggest that that is what it actually was). Because its walls do not have midden to support them, they are much thicker than those of the houses. (The midden must have also provided excellent insulation and draught proofing for the houses). Then, as now, trees on Orkney were in short supply. As a result, whalebone or driftwood rafters may have supported roofs of turf. Entry to each house is through a low doorway which was closed Photograph courtesy of Charles Tait. (there are no hinges) by a stone or wooden slab – held in place by a beam fitting into slots in the stonework.

Inside the house is a central, rectangular, hearth and, on the wall opposite the door, a stone ‘dresser’. On either side wall are stone box beds which would have been filled with bracken or heather, and covered with animal pelts. (The only difference in the design of the first phase houses is that the beds were recessed into the thickness of the walls – though they appear to have been set in some midden, the first phase houses were much more self-supporting – while in the newer houses they project into the room). It is suspected that the beds would have had a canopy and curtains, in the fashion of a four-poster. There are alcoves and compartments (known as ‘cells’), of various sizes, set into the room walls. Most are clearly storage spaces, however, some cells have drains running under them, and it is thought that these were indoor toilets. The building supposed to be a workshop has none of these interior features, except for the central hearth. The floor was found to be littered with chert fragments, suggesting that tools were made there.

The local chert cannot be given as sharp an edge as flint, but there is only a small amount of flint available – found as pebbles on the beach. The commonest stone tools at Skara Brae, also made from pebbles, were dubbed by Professor Childe ‘Skaill flakes’ or ‘Skaill knives’: “Such a knife can, in fact, easily be made by dashing a rounded piece of local shaley stone from the beach sharply on the ground, when it breaks along the bedding-plane, yielding a flake of the required form.” V. Gordon Childe ‘Report on the excavations at Skara Brae’ 1929 These simple knives have been found to be remarkably effective as butchering tools. However, presumably because of the limited supply of quality stone (particularly in large blocks) available, many utensils – scrapers, awls, mattocks, shovels etc. – were made from bone (and in all probability wood, but that tends not to be preserved). A ritual object? The farmers of Skara Brae raised, mainly, cattle and sheep or goats, but they also kept pigs and dogs.

They grew cereals – mainly barley, but some wheat. They also hunted the local wild animals, seabird eggs, and fish. Although no fishing equipment has been discovered, set into the floor of each house are watertight tanks which, it is conjectured, could have been used for keeping fish bait. They produced Grooved ware pottery , but there is no evidence of spinning or weaving. They also made jewellery (beads, pendants and pins) and objects which would appear to be gaming pieces. Some walling stones have been decorated with geometric, carved, patterns, which may have been coloured originally – ‘paint pots’, made from oyster shells, whale vertebrae and stone, were found. Also found were some, abstract, objects which may have had a ritual purpose. Professor Childe thought that the settlement was abandoned after being overwhelmed by storm blown sand. The evidence, however, appears to render this theory unlikely. The reason Skara Brae fell into disuse is not known with certainty.

Since the winter of 1937/8 (when a settlement was discovered at Rinyo, on Rousay), other stone built villages, similar in character but not as well preserved as Skara Brae, have been found in the Orkneys. Of even earlier date than these villages are two houses at Knap of Howar, on Papa Westray. KNAP OF HOWAR Photograph courtesy of Westray Digital Art . After the buildings' presence had been revealed by gales, the local landowner, William Traill (with his colleague William Kirkness), began excavating the site in 1929. In 1937 it was taken into State guardianship, and a protective sea-wall was built. Further excavation was carried out, in 1973 and 1975, by Anna Ritchie. Radiocarbon dating of samples taken during this excavation has revealed the antiquity of the site – it was occupied between about 3600BC and 3100BC. The existing houses (Period II) replaced previous structures (Period I) during that time.

These Period II houses were not built on exactly the same spot as those of Period I, but were built on a layer of midden associated with them. They are free-standing buildings, having an inner and outer dry-stone wall, with midden filled cavity. In fact, the outer wall is laid on top of the midden layer, whilst the inner is laid on the natural clay surface (a difference of some 0.34 metres). The midden cleared from the interior of the houses was, presumably, used in the cavity fill. In the larger of the two (house 1), the walls average about 1.5 metres thick, in the smaller (house 2) it's about 1 metre. The houses are connected by a passage where they butt against each other. Although they are referred to as houses, these two buildings made up a single farmstead. It seems likely that house 1 was, primarily, the living area, whilst house 2 was a workshop and storage area. Both are partitioned by upright stone slabs. House 1 is divided into two rooms – in the innermost is a hearth, and there was a massive stone quern.

House 2 is divided into three rooms – the central one having a hearth, whilst the innermost has several storage cells recessed into the walls. Amongst the potsherds found on the site were examples of ‘ Unstan ware ’ (a precursor of Grooved ware). In British Archaeology (Issue no 52, April 2000) Anna Ritchie writes: “I remember how excited I was when I first held a sherd of the Unstan ware in my hand. It was the first time this distinctive pottery had been found on a domestic site - previously it had only come from tombs. It was dark, and quite thin and finely decorated. The interesting thing was that whereas the pots from chambered tombs were thick and heavy, the domestic pots were really quite dainty with thin walls. It was fine tableware.” It appears that the buildings were abandoned ruins before they were covered by wind-blown sand. However, before they were abandoned, it looks like house 2 had been deliberately sealed up because its walls had begun to collapse. Found on Worm's Head, Rhossili, Gower. Found by Framework Archaeology , on the site of Terminal 5, Heathrow.

Looking like a Great War battlefield, Grimes Graves covers an area of some 7.6 hectares (although excavations suggest that a larger area was originally mined). More than 400 shafts – up to 12 metres deep, with radiating galleries at the bottom – are known to have been dug. Mining at the site began c.3000BC, and continued for 500–1000 years. It was named Grim's Graves (meaning, the god, Grim's quarries) by the Anglo-Saxons. Found in the River Thames at Hedsor, Buckinghamshire. Generally known as ‘Peterborough ware’, this bowl is, more specifically, in ‘Mortlake style’. Photograph courtesy of the British Museum . Illustration of a Grooved ware pot from Clacton, Essex. Actually, Grooved ware was previously known as ‘Rinyo-Clacton ware’, after Clacton and another, very distant, findspot: Rinyo, on the Orkney island of Rousay.

Research at four long barrows in South West England (Hazleton, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Fussell's Lodge and West Kennet) has produced remarkable results. English Heritage , in a press-release dated 12th March 2007, announced: “By combining radiocarbon dates with archaeological information using Bayesian statistics, researchers have now been able to reveal that these sites, which are long barrows used as burial chambers, all ended their burial within a decade or so of 3,625BC.” The press-release notes: “Precise dating also helps to dispel the traditional view that long barrows such as these were used over centuries. Instead, their use is now revealed to be short lived and intensive. Few barrows were used for more than three to four generations. Wayland's Smithy [Oxfordshire] was probably used for under a decade. Such short timescales support the impression of small communities keeping alive memories of their immediate kin and people they know, rather than some tribal ancestors or past heroes.” The mound of West Kennet long barrow was heaped-up from earth and chalk dug from, flanking, ‘quarry ditches’.

(Where the mound has been constructed from stones, the term ‘long cairn’ may be used). Finally, in around 2400/2300BC, a megalithic façade was erected, closing-off the entrance. Today, Bryn Celli Ddu is in a partially restored state – the mound is much smaller than the original would have been. The passage is aligned towards the midsummer rising sun. Excavations, undertaken in the late 1920s, indicated that the passage grave was built (around 2700BC?) on top of an earlier ‘ henge monument ’. Barclodiad y Gawres is, probably, best known for its six decorated stones. (A decorated stone was also found buried beneath Bryn Celli Ddu). Barclodiad y Gawres is known as a ‘cruciform passage grave’, because the central passage (in this case pointing roughly north) terminates in three chambers which, together, make the crucifix shape. When the site was excavated in 1952–3, soil analysis indicated that the western chamber was specifically used for interring ashes.

The magnificent main chamber of Maeshowe (c.2750BC) is constructed from dressed, sandstone, slabs. The passage (on the right of the photograph) is aligned towards the midwinter sunset. Maeshowe is also noted for its 12th century Norse, runic, graffitti – which tells us “Ingigerd is the most beautiful of women”, and other, sometimes less polite, titbits. Photograph courtesy of Diego Meozzi/Stone Pages . The 19th International Radiocarbon Conference was held at Keble College, Oxford, in April 2006. On the agenda was a report by a team working on dating causewayed enclosures in southern Britain. The following is taken from the abstract of their report: “Rather than assigning these sites to the total span of the early Neolithic as a whole, it appears increasingly likely from our preliminary results that the majority of causewayed enclosures started in the 37th century cal BC.

Results from a parallel programme on long barrows and long cairns [see the English Heritage press release quoted earlier in this webpage] strongly suggest that some of those mortuary monuments had already been in existence since 3750 cal BC. The causewayed enclosures therefore emerge as a distinct phenomenon, beginning in what may have been a spectacular and concentrated horizon. Some were probably to remain in use for another 250–300 years, but others may have been surprisingly short-lived, with building and primary deposition spanning no more than a generation or two.” At the time of its occupation, Skara Brae was considerably further from the sea than it is today. It is possible that some of the settlement has been lost to coastal erosion. Carn Brea is of a type (comparable to the causewayed enclosure), peculiar to the south-west, known as a ‘tor enclosure’ (a hilltop or hillslope enclosure, located close to rock outcrops, and surrounded by one or more circuits of stone built walls). Roger Mercer excavated the site in the early 1970s: “...

a hilltop village two acres [0.8 hectares] in extent was located, defended by a massive stone wall [2 metres wide at its base, and originally, perhaps, 2metres high] that enclosed a series of platforms upon which traces of structures were located... Outwith this enclosure were traces of what were interpreted by the writer as clearance cairns and patches of cleared soil for the growing of crops and these and the enclosure were surrounded by a greater fortified enceinte with clearly defensive gateways that also appeared to be Neolithic.” (‘Cornish Archaeology’, Volume 25, 1986) This particular arrowhead was found in Notgrove long barrow, Gloucestershire, in 1881. It is now in Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum . In ‘ British Archaeology ’ (Issue 16, July 1996) Dr. Alasdair Whittle writes: “It is hard to find evidence of colonisation at the start of the Neolithic, for the sustained practice of mixed farming, or for permanent residence, until as late perhaps as the mid 2nd millennium BC (the Middle Bronze Age).

Big regional archaeological projects which should have produced such evidence have signally not done so. Instead the picture is of sporadic, episodic clearance, continued use of woodland resources alongside new domesticates, and of ill-defined occupations rather than homesteads, hamlets or villages. At the same time, some scholars are now suggesting the role of monuments was to create allegiance to a fixed place, in a world which retained much mobility.” At Crickley Hill, the non-defensive double, causewayed, ditch/bank arrangements were superceded by a single, unbroken, defensive ditch/bank, and a wooden palisade. In the report of his 1928 excavation, Professor Childe wrote: “The Skara pottery is, in fact, the worst I have ever handled. It is so coarse and badly baked that for a time I mistook the first large lump of it I came across in the midden for a plaster hearth, such as are so often met in Danubian settlements. Skara pottery is so badly fired that when first uncovered in the midden it can be cut with a penknife. In the damper environment of a hut floor it is sometimes literally plastic.

On drying in the sun it soon becomes friable. No complete vessel could be rescued. The majority of the sherds come from the midden, and even there the rims have been so distorted by pressure that the original curvature can no longer be estimated... The larger vessels were built up in sections. The lower ring was pinched and flattened on its upper rim to a bevelled edge, the next ring was forced over this and smoothed down on either side when the lower ring was already drying... It was impossible to reconstruct the shape of any of these coarse vessels, but all had flat bottoms and the sides were probably almost straight. Besides this coarse, thick ware a few fragments of smaller vessels were discovered. These were a little finer in texture and a trifle better fired, but still very coarse, unpolished, and far from solid. The fragments seem to come from small round-bottomed bowls or dishes.

Despite its coarseness the great majority of the pots found had been ornamented, generally just below the rim.” In a report (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1983) of her investigations, Anna Ritchie writes: “Within the restricted areas explored, the only structural remains attributable to Period I were the fragmentary paving, upright stone and grooves left by the removal of two upright stones found at the base of the lower midden in trench II. There were no traces within the interiors of houses 1 and 2 to suggest that they had replaced earlier structures on the same spot, and it is likely that the major structures of Period I lay to the S or W of the extant houses. It is difficult to estimate how much of the western part of the site has been destroyed by coastal erosion.” Round based bowls with a band of grooved patterning below the rim. Unstan ware is named after a ‘chambered cairn’ on Orkney Mainland. Excavation there, in 1884, yielded a large number of these distinctive potsherds.

In a report on the finds at Knap of Howar (Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, 1983), Audrey S Henshall notes: “The pottery falls into four categories: the easily recognizable Unstan-type bowls with probably 13 examples; simple bowls either undecorated or with restrained decoration with about 41 examples, but admittedly including some small rimsherds which may come from more elaborate vessels; bowls having either cordons or shoulders with probably nine examples; miscellaneous small sherds with unusual features. Most of the bases appear to have been round, but there is evidence for two flattened bases.” Orkney - The Edinburgh Photography Meetup Group (Edinburgh, Scotland) | Meetup The Edinburgh Photography Meetup Group Travel arrangements and accommodation is attendees own responsibilities Purposed accommodation is: Peedie hostel Kirkwall. It is self-catering and is handy for the sites in Kirkwall & Orkney Please refer to Website for information.Follow the link below. Ferries are from various points on the mainland to Orkney. Two of the main Ferry companies are Ferry Companies are : Northlink and Pentland Ferries.

Please check ferry terminals and timetables, Booking on Ferry is advisable for the proposed dates Fights are available please check airports and timetables Any time of the year is great to visit Orkney,. There's so much to see and do. Each day is very different and the islands' history, culture, wildlife, arts and music are sure to leave a lasting impression. Ring of Brodgar The spellbinding stone circle - the Ring of Brodgar - is arguably the most iconic symbol of Orkney's prehistoric past. It is a site of ritual and ceremony, and hauntingly beautiful Ness of Brodgar The discovery of this vast six acre Neolithic site in 2002 is one of the most significant archaeological finds in Western Europe, providing a unique insight to a prehistoric civilisation in the British Isles St Magnus Cathedral The cathedral is a majestic, imposing and absolute 'must see' attraction. It is one of Orkney's Viking splendours, a glorious example of Romanesque architecture and the most northerly cathedral in Britain. Skara Brae This stunning archaeological site on the shores of the bay of Skaill is reputed to be the best preserved Stone Age village in Europe.

It is one of Orkney's most popular attractions. Prepare to be amazed! Maeshowe Maeshowe is believed to be one of the finest burial chambers in Western Europe. Beneath a large grassy mound, an enormous cairn reveals a level of craftsmanship that is astonishing - not least because the tomb is said to be 4,800 years old. The Italian ChapelThe story of the Italian Chapel is as famous as the building itself. Built by Italian prisoners of war, the chapel is testimony to their resolve, skills and imagination, and is held in great affection by Orcadians and visitors from around the world. Woodlands There is a wee valley in Orkney, known as Happy Valley in the parish of Stenness. It's now owned and managed by the local council, though there is a group called the "Friends of Happy Valley" who help maintain the garden and extend the planting. In 2011 it also became a local nature reserve. Happy Valley is a very large garden, filled with trees, a babbling burn, and wild flowers, nestling in the bottom of a valley.

It was created by Orcadian, Edwin Harold, from scratch between 1948 and the 1990s. Edwin returned from WWII and wanted to live out a quiet existence in the valley. He maintained it until ill health prevented him and he died in 2005. Many folk in Orkney have fond memories of visiting the place either as part of a school trip to see the variety of trees (not so many in Orkney), or just to see Edwin and have a wee blether and a wee dram. The best established woodland is probably at Binscarth Wood on the outskirts of Finstown. The loch at Wasdale trickles south firstly just by creating boggy land then becoming a stream by the point the contours change and the valley heads east and finally emptying into the Bay of Firth, all the while wearing a route through the valley at Binscarth. This dent in the landscape is possibly one of the most naturally sheltered places in Orkney and it was planted in the Victorian period with pines and some of the ubiquitous Orkney sycamores. Towards the eastern end are some newer plantations of trees.

This is a delightful walk, although short compared to southern equivalents, and nearly always muddy even after several weeks of no rain (which has been known in an Orcadian summer). The stream meanders and cascades, becoming frothy in places due to the peaty soil. The pine wood means that the ground beneath the trees is void of undergrowth but some of those trees are substantial and it is one of the few places in Orkney where a human can experience being dwarfed by the magnificence that is a mature tree; to really feel as if one is in the presence of deep and ancient knowledge and a wise being. These woods provide habitat for a number of bird species and woodland plats, particularly towards the eastern end where there is less pine and more sycamore. There are public footpaths through these woods, one direct and several which thread along by the stream, but best not to attempt any of them without waterproof footwear. Above the woodland sits Binscarth House, and in the private grounds is the most serene grove. When the stone to build Binscarth House was quarried out in the 1800s, the area that had been quarried was turned into a secret, almost sunken garden.

The flat centre is lawned and all around are mature deciduous trees. I have been privileged to perform a wedding in this grove and it is an absolute delight to be in and a thoroughly sacred place.

Question: What's the "best preserved Stone Age village in Europe", on Mainland in Orkney, called?
Answer: SKARA BRAE